


I Am A Guardian

by draculoidestroy



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Peter Quill Feels, Peter Quill/Original Female Character - Freeform, Protective Peter Quill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:00:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27522691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draculoidestroy/pseuds/draculoidestroy
Summary: Maxine Stryker has never really had an easy life. From losing her Mother at birth and her Father when she was taken from her home planet, she forgot long ago what love really meant, what it really felt like. From the age of seven she was sold into the harsh life of slavery, bought and sold to and from different owners on different planets. It wasn't until that faithful day; exactly a week after she turned sixteen, that a boy in a mask set her free. She found out that he called himself an outlaw of sorts, coming from an exiled faction of The Ravangers. It was then that he offered her the idea of joining them, her being a fellow Terran made him want to help her. So, it was then that she found herself begging Yondu Udonta for a place among his men, begging for a place to call home.This fic mainly takes place during the first movie and hopefully the second. It will also contain flashback scenes from when Max and Peter first meet. (I'm really not that great a summaries)
Relationships: Peter Quill/Original Female Character(s), Peter Quill/Reader
Kudos: 3





	1. How It All Began

_ Ages: Peter: 18 Maxine: 16 _

**_Year:_ ** _ 1998 _

It had been quiet today, it was that one day of the week most of the workers had the day off. The ship had a skeleton crew, most of the people still working were the slaves. They worked non-stop. It didn’t matter if they were sick or tired, their days almost never ended, there was always something to be done. Max had always been told, ever since she was captured and sold into slavery that she was replaceable. That at any wrong move, she could be executed.

She was currently sitting in the corner of her dreary cell, her knees were pulled up close to her chest with her arms wrapped tightly around them. She knew it was pointless trying to feel safe in this hellhole but, she had to try. She peaked her head up, looking through the bars at the front of the cell. She reached under the mattress situated on the floor in front of her. After feeling around for a moment, her fingers brushed over cool plastic. She pulled an old, grey beat up cassette tape from its hiding place. She gently ran her index finger over the familiar handwriting. In her mother’s neat handwriting the tape read,  _ “Maxine’s Songs”. _

She searched her brain, trying to remember all the titles of the songs that used to play from the tape in her hands. She became depressed when only remembering the ones closest to her heart. But, who could blame her, she hadn’t listened to them in years.

The sound of shouting and gunfire made Max jump in her skin, quickly pushing the tape back under the mattress. A few men, in clothes that Max didn’t recognize, ran past her cell. It peaked Max’s curiosity enough to make her move from the safety of the dark side of her cell. Gunfire rang out again, this time it was loud, making Max cover her ears.  _ “What’s happening? Am I gonna die?..”  _ Bleak thoughts began to race through the teenagers head. Despite having to grow up as a slave and being treated like shit for years, she didn’t want to die. Max always had this hunger to live, a desperation to be free.

She screwed her eyes shut,  _ “I don’t want to die..’ _

She opened her eyes again, this time seeing someone standing in front of her cell. He had a mask on so, she couldn’t see his face. After a few seconds passed, he pressed something behind his ear to make the mask retract from his features. Max’s eyes grew wide at the person in front of her. He was human well, at least he looked human.

“Are you from Terra?” the unknown man questioned Max about her home planet. She just nodded in response, unsure of what to do or say in this situation. “How did you end up here?”

“I was abducted and sold as a slave years ago, this is just my current owner..” Max spoke softly, not used to being able to talk freely.

“You say that like it’s the normal-est thing in the world.” he replied to the girl before looking at the lock on the door, he wasn’t about to leave a fellow Terran locked up on a slave ship.

“Well, for me.. It is normal.” Max paused, looking over at the person across from her. He couldn't have been much older than her, he looked young. “Who are you?”

“Oh um, I'm Peter.” he spoke before reaching in his bag, searching for anything to use as a lock-pick. It was just a standard key lock so, with the right tools, it's easy to get into. Peter watched the timid girl, she was a bit dirty. Dirt was slightly smudged on her pale cheek. She had dull blue eyes and short auburn hair, it was a tangled mess. Once he found something to pick the lock with, he knelt down and started to try and break in. “What’s your name?”

“Um..M-Max.. My name is Max.” she paused watching his movements, “What are you doing?”

“I'm getting you out of here. You don't deserve to be a slave, Max. Don't you want to be free?” 

Of course she wanted to be free, it’s all she’s thought about for years. She looked at Peter with disbelief in her eyes, “You’re breaking me out? Really?” she smiled at the thought, even if it scared her. “But, where will I go?..”

“I might be able to help you. If you want, you can try and become a Ravager, like me. It’ll take a lot of convincing but, I think he’ll come through.” Peter spoke, mumbling the last bit quietly to himself as he worked on the lock.

“What is a Ravager?..” Max asked quietly, not having any knowledge of what he claims to be.

Peter gave her a playful smile, “We're basically bad-ass outlaws. You can have whatever you want if you just take it.”

Max liked the way her freedom sounded. She found herself trusting Peter but, then again she wasn't really left with much of a choice. Her options were to stay and be a slave or be free and live as an outlaw. “I could..go with you.”

The sound of the lock clicking caught Max’s attention, she watched as Peter stood up and pulled the door open. “Then, if you're ready. Let's get out of here.”

A smile graced her features before she turned to get the tape she had left under the safety of her mattress. She slipped it in her pocket before turning to her newfound friend. 

“I'm ready.”

\--

“What the hell is this, Quill? All that time and all you bring back is a girl?” Yondu questioned the young man standing in front of him.

“She was being kept as a slave. All I did was give her a chance at freedom. She’s interested in becoming a Ravager, considering she has nowhere else to go.” Peter responded to his captain, hoping this wouldn’t end badly.

The blue skinned captain shifted his gaze from Peter to the girl standing next to him. She looked scared and well, she had every right to be. “How long have you been a slave?”

Max was scared, scared that at one wrong move she could be fending for herself on the next planet they stopped at. She took a deep breath and looked Yondu in the eye, feigning confidence. “Since I was seven. I was abducted by slavers and sold over and over again.. There hasn’t been a day in the past nine years that I've had even a shred of free will.”

The captain couldn’t help but see himself in her dull eyes. He was reminded of when he himself was sold into slavery. The hopelessness and loneliness that he felt. But, he had the choice to help this kid, to hopefully preserve any of that childlike innocence. Even if he had a feeling that it was too late. “Alright, she can stay.  _ But, _ Quill you have to help her train in combat and show her the ropes around here or, you'll be pulling the dead weight. Sound like a deal?”

“It’s a deal.”


	2. Were Just Friends Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We jump into Max and Peter's current everyday life. Frankly, before the shit hits the fan. Both of them struggle with either new feelings that are hard to control or feelings that have become easier to suppress over the years. Let's see what awkward situations lie ahead.

_ Year: 2014 _

**_Present day:_ **

Max had gotten used to running at a very young age but, it wasn’t until she had no choice but to join the Ravagers at sixteen that she learned how to truly run. She was currently running away from security that had the intent to kill. She told Peter that this was a bad plan but he never listens. 

_ “Max! Where are you? You're not at the rendezvous.”  _ Peter talked frantically into the receiver of his headset, one that Max had rigged just for the two of them.

“Sorry, I'm kind of running for my life right now!” Max replied, busting out the doors of the base, she hopped over a railing before bolting off into the wooded lot behind the building.

_ “Max! Are you okay? Where are you?!”  _ Peter yelled frantically, after not getting a reply, fearing for the worst

Max drew a few heavy breaths once the guards went in the other direction, before transmitting, “I'm okay, just a bit winded. Head back to the Milano, I'll meet you there.”

_ “Okay.. Just, be careful.” _

“Always.” Max said with a grin.

\--

Once Max made it back to the ship, Peter scolded her for not communicating with him during the entirety of the mission.

“You honestly sound like such a mom right now.” she said with a laugh, making Peter scowl at her, “Relax it’s a good thing, kind of. It’s nice having someone to worry about me.”

After exchanging a few looks they broke eye contact and made their way to the control deck. Once settled and buckled in their designated seats, they began to prep the ship for flight.

As Max put in the location of Xandar; their next destination, she spoke up, “How much did you say the buyer wanted for these weapons?”

“50,000 Units. Not too bad if you ask me.”

“Sadly, that is the biggest catch we've had recently. I need money so I can buy new gadgets.” Max sighed in frustration.

“You’ve become such a gear-head over the years, I can remember the first time I taught you how to take apart your blaster. Now you're definitely smarter with it all than I am.” He looked back on the memory fondly, remembering it like it was yesterday.

“At least you can admit it.”

“Yeah, I'm not a sore loser, like you.” Peter replied with a smirk plastered across his face.

Max gasped in offense, her blue eyes widening slightly. She smacks him on the arm lightly, “I  _ am  _ not.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

Once they got the Milano on track and set it to autopilot, Max climbed down to the common area, the ladder being right behind the pilot seats. She walks to the tape deck that was currently holding her mixed-tape, right where she had left it. She hits play, letting it play the familiar tunes of  _ ‘'Ramblin’ Man”. _

Max loved this song, it reminded her of her father as he listened to it about everyday. She would never not be grateful to Peter for bringing music back into her life. It's the only thing keeping memories of her life on earth alive.

“This is a good one. Kind of fits us, don't you think?” Peter spoke from behind her as he walked to where she's standing.

She turns to look at him, smiling a bit at the comparison, “Yeah, kind of. We never stay in one place too long. But, at least we have a home.”

Peter tends to find himself lost in Max’s smile, now was one of those moments. He was so lost he almost blurted out something along the lines of,  _ ‘My home is where you are.’  _ But, he stopped himself in the nick of time.  _ ‘God that would've been stupid.’  _ he thought.

“The Milano does make a pretty nice home.” Peter replied after having his daily internal battle.

Max’s expression faltered a little bit, enough for Peter to notice, “Yeah, it does.” She sighed, before walking towards the hall, stretching a bit. “I'm gonna go take a shower before we get to Xandar. I smell awful.”

Peter watched as she disappeared into the ship. Once she was out of sight and earshot, he let out an agitated sigh, running his hands over his face in frustration. There was something about Max, something about her that made Peter want to protect her with his life. Ever since they met sixteen years ago he's felt this way. But, it wasn't until recently that he started seeing her a little differently. She had always been pretty, Peter knew that but, sometimes he had to stop himself from staring or from blurting out something he'd regret.

The song switched over to  _ ‘How Deep Is Your Love’,  _ it was almost as if the music was trying to mock him. Nevertheless, he smiled as he listened to the love song.

\-- 

“Pete!” Max’s voice echoed throughout the ship as she searched for her friend. She peeked into his room, seeing him laying across his bed with his headphones on, either lost in music or sleeping. Either way, he looked so peaceful, she hated to disturb him but they had arrived at Xandar. It was time to collect.

She walked over towards him and sat next to him on the bed. His lack of awareness of her presence showed that he was asleep. She pressed pause on his Walkman before slipping his headphones off as she began shaking his shoulder lightly.

“Pete, wake up.” he groaned in response making her roll her eyes, “If you don't wake up then I'm gonna go cash in and celebrate by myself at our favorite bar.”

Peter groaned again, his eyes still closed, “You make a very convincing argument.” he sighed, peeking his eyes open to see Max looking at him with a stern expression, “Okay okay, I'm up.”

“Hurry, or I'm leaving without you.” Max replied to him as she walked out his bedroom door. 

Peter practically rolled out of bed, almost landing face first on the floor before catching himself. He grumbled at his stupidity as he pulled on his Ravagers jacket. He then walked out, joining Max who was pulling her own leather jacket on, the two we're practically identical.

“Hey, you ready?” Max asked before picking up one of the bags of weapons on the floor. 

“Ready to party.” he replied with a smirk before walking to her, picking up the other bag. Max smiled and rolled her eyes at her friend before walking out.

\--

“25,000?! We had a deal, you said you'd pay 50,000!” Max shouted angrily at the merchant trying to screw them.

“My apologies Ms. Stryker but, I never said my offer was final. The final offer is 25,000 Units. Take it or, leave it.” the merchant spoke in a monotonous voice, irking Max’s nerves even further.

“You condescending fucking snake, you-” Max started before being cut off by Peter.

“Wow, Max. Calm down. Let's just take the money instead of being stuck with weapons we have no use for. 25,000 is still better than what we’d get somewhere else.”

Max growled in frustration, glaring daggers at the merchant across the counter. “Fine.”

After doing the exchange and they were headed out the door Max turned around, a smirk donning her face, “Hey, fuckface!”

After grabbing the merchant's attention she flipped him a double bird, “Have a nice fucking day.”

Peter grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door, “As funny as that was, he doesn't even know what that means.” he stated with a laugh.

“It was more for my own satisfaction.”

“Also, that language. So harsh.” 

Max laughed a bit. She’s always had a bit of a potty mouth, especially when she was angry, “You know it’s against my nature to not swear when I'm pissed.”

“That’s true.” Peter replied, “Ready to get drunk? Because honestly, it’s why I got out of bed.”

Max sighed, shaking her head in mock disappointment, “You've become such an alcoholic. Pete, do we need to have an intervention?”

“I'll let you know in the morning.”

\--

Max sat at the pair’s favorite bar, it was located in one of Xandar’s biggest cities. It was always over crowded and loud but they had some of the best (drinkable) drinks. It’s hard to find alcohol that humans can actually consume on foreign planets.

Max sipped the sweet-sour liquor in her glass. It was one of the lighter drinks she found on their complex menu. It still burnt like hellfire so, just imagine how the others taste. Peter chose the heavier stuff, he couldn’t care less if it caused physical pain as long as it got him drunk. Speaking of Peter, _ where was he? _ That question had been on Max’s mind for the past twenty minutes. He had left to go to the restroom about a half hour ago. Even though she had a pretty good idea at what he was doing, she still worried that something bad could’ve happened. Not only that, not that she would admit this to herself but, she felt a pang of jealousy thinking that he had ditched her for someone else.

She sighed and downed the rest of her drink. As she was battling with the thoughts in her head, she failed to notice someone take the seat next to her.

“Excuse me but, I couldn’t help but notice such a beautiful woman drinking all alone.”

Max turned her head to the unfamiliar voice, not recognizing the man now sitting beside her. He looked human but he was more than likely Xandarian, “Beautiful? Are you sure you’re talking to the right woman?”

Max flashed him a friendly smile. There’s no harm in a little flirting, it was kind of fun to Max even if she never actually hooks up with anyone. The guy looked her up and down before answering, “Definitely. So, did you come here alone?”

He asked, jumping straight to the point, completely ruining Max’s flirtatious mood. Max rolled her eyes before looking at the man beside her, “Actually, I’m here with someone. He should be back soon.”

“Sure sweetheart, that’s why you’ve been sitting alone for the past fifteen minutes.”

-

Peter was currently flirting with the first girl who batted her eyelashes at him. She was; to put it lightly, extremely hot. He could barely take his eyes off of her but, in one of the brief moments where his attention wasn’t focused on the girl. He caught a glimpse of Max sitting at the bar, the same place they were seated together before he disappeared. She was smiling at a guy he didn't recognize.

He felt something twist in his gut as he watched the man rake his eyes over his friend’s body. He knew what that look meant and, he felt anger boil within him as he continued to watch the scene unfold. He watched as the look on Max’s face transitioned from friendly, to pissed off. He could tell she was getting agitated with the man. It didn’t take Peter long to decide to intervene before Max caused a scene. Ignoring  the calls coming from the girl he was flirting with, he made his way across the bar. Max spotted him out of the corner of her eye, sighing in relief at his perfect timing.

“Pete, you’re back.” Max spoke in an over friendly tone, hoping the guy would get the message and leave.

“Hey, who’s this guy in my seat?” Peter shot the guy a threatening look.

“It’s no one. Let’s just leave. It’s getting late anyways.” she got out of her seat and grabbed Peter’s hand. She started walking towards the exit, tugging Peter along behind her. Once they were outside and away from all of the noise and people, Max let out a sigh.

“God, you’re a lifesaver. You showed up at the perfect time, that guy was an asshole.” Max was too relieved to be out of that bar to realise that she was still holding Peter’s hand. Peter on the other hand was well aware of the situation but, he found himself liking the way it felt. He couldn’t recognize if what he was feeling was real or, just the effects of the alcohol in his system.

“You were looking pretty pissed. I figured you could use a rescue.” Peter gave Max a smirk, feeling accomplished at saving the damsel in distress.

Max laughed then talked with a sarcastic tone, “Well, thank you for being my knight in shining armor.” she then became aware of her hand still grasping her friend’s. She lets go of his hand, “ Ah, I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. You can head back in if you want, I think I’m gonna head back to the ship.”

Peter felt disappointment when Max let go of his hand. He had to stop himself from reaching for it, just to grasp it again. He tried his best not to let his emotions show through his words, “I think I’m gonna head back too. I’m getting pretty tired.”

He wouldn't admit to himself that he just didn't want her walking back alone and, he definitely won't be telling her that, at least not anytime soon. 

\--

They had been back at the Milano for about an hour now. Max had retired to her room and Peter left to get a shower. Max was currently laying on her bed, letting her mind think about the subject she shoved in a box and labeled  _ ‘'Forbidden”,  _ a long time ago. Peter gave her that feeling again, it’s been happening more frequently ever since she allowed herself to think about it again. She couldn't stop thinking about holding his hand. She felt silly, feeling like a lovesick teenager. But, it made sense for her to feel so intensely over such innocent things.

Despite her age, Max could be qualified as, ‘inexperienced’ in the field of anything to do with sex or relationships. It’s something that bothered Max, even if she never talks about it. She closed her eyes with a sigh, willing the pictures in her head to go away.  _ “Stop thinking about him. If you don't, you'll end up doing something stupid.” _

She willed herself up off her bed, walking to her closet. She stripped down to her underwear, grabbing a t-shirt. As she was turning around, about to pull it over her head, she heard the door to her room open. Of course, it was Peter.

“Max, I-” he cut himself off at the sight before him. He stood there, eyes locked with Max’s practically naked form. He couldn't help but stare, she was beautiful. Max quickly pulled the shirt on, feeling heat creep onto her cheeks from embarrassment. 

She averted her eyes from his as she spoke, “You couldn't knock?”

She was mad at the intrusion but, from the embarrassment of her best friend just seeing her almost naked and the thoughts she was just having about said friend. It made her voice come out almost timid.

“Right, um, I'm sorry.” Peter looked away from his friend, a sudden awkwardness coming over him. “I'll let you get dressed.”

He quickly fled the room, leaving Max to wonder why he even let himself in, in the first place. Peter on the other hand was slowly coming to terms with the feelings he had towards his best friend. They've walked in on each other half-naked more times than Pete could count. But, recently he’s been feeling a little more towards his friend, leaving him confused. Tonight just pushed him a little farther to his conclusion.


	3. The Sound Of Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little backstory on how Max got her music back. And probably one of the first moments she realized she couldn't live with Peter, even if they had only known each other for a year. This was the first time she felt that old warmth of love again.

Ages: Peter:19 Maxine:17

**_Year:_ ** _ 1999 _

The two teenagers sat across from each other on the hard metal floor. It wasn’t comfortable but, it was secluded away from all the Ravager's on the ship. They sat there with their legs crossed, balancing trays of food in their laps. They always tend to run off to this room located deep within the main ship to get away from all the assholes that inhabited it. Peter had told her that ever since he was captured, he came to this room to be alone. They feel like they can talk freely here, almost like it was a safe space, even if that seems laughable.

“Hey, Pete?” Max broke the silence, a troubled look on her face as she glanced over at the boy sitting across from her. Something was clearly on her mind.

“Yeah?” Peter looked from his food, his full attention now on Max.

“Do you ever think about going back to Terra? Back home?” she asked softly, she’d been thinking about her hometown, her family. Her memories of them fading more and more everyday.

He thought the question over, it was something he thought of quite regularly. He let the question fully sink in before he answered, “Sometimes but, everytime I even think about it, it scares me.”

Max was hesitant, staying silent for a few seconds before talking again, ”You’ve never really told me about your life on Earth. Probably for the same reasons I don’t talk about mine so, I get it. But, I would like to get to know you a little bit better.” she looked up at him and cracked a small smile when she noticed his sudden gloomy mood, “We’re the only two humans on the ship, we might as well be best buds.”

Peter was never one to open up about his past but, something about her smile and light-hearted approach made him trust her.

“Okay, okay. How about this, If I open up then so do you. That’s how you become best buds. Think of it kind of like Twenty Questions.” he smiled, a little proud of his idea.

“Fine but, I get to ask the first question.” She replied quickly, calling dibs on the first turn.

“Seems fair. Ask away.” Peter fiend confidence even though he was having an internal freak out thinking about talking about his past.

“Your Walkman, was it a gift from someone? It seems very precious to you.” she’s always been curious about how he got it. She’s only now finding the courage to ask him personal questions.

His breath hitched in his throat, making him hesitate before answering her question, “Um, yeah.. My mom gave it to me, along with the tape.”

Max noticed how hard it was for him to say only that so she didn’t pry any further, “Okay, your turn.” 

Peter thought for a moment, thinking back to the old, grey cassette tape he saw her gazing at hopefully one night, reminding him of himself, “That tape you have, the one you try to keep hidden away from everyone. What is it and why do you keep it hidden away?”

“Pete, that’s two questions.” she said watching him shrug his shoulders casually, “I-it’s a mix tape that my mom made for me before she died. She died when I was a baby so, it’s all I have to remind me of her. I keep it hidden away because I’m used to my things getting broken, when I was still a slave I was allowed to keep my Walkman, it looked almost identical to yours. But, I fucked up and broke some really expensive artifacts. My punishment was starvation and watching the only thing that was mine get destroyed. I managed to save the tape though. Sorry, that was kind of a long answer.”

Peter dismissed her last comment, shaking his head, ”It’s fine, you don’t have to apologize. I’m sorry that happened..” he paused for a second before asking another question, “When was the last time you listened to it?”

“When I was twelve, I think, I’m not even sure if it still works.”

“Do you wanna try it?” Peter asked, watching the timid girl’s eyes go wide. She had always wanted to ask to borrow it, but she was always too scared.

“Really?” she asked in shock, pulling her bag in front of her, rummaging through its contents.

He smiled at the happy look on the girl’s face, “Yeah, of course.”

Max pulled out the old cassette tape. It still had,  _ “Maxine’s Songs”  _ written on the front in her mother’s handwriting. Peter set his tray aside on the floor and moved to sit beside her. Once he was settled he removed a tape labeled, _ “Awesome Mix Vol. 1” _ from the Walkman and then handed it to her, trusting she wouldn't break it. She carefully placed the tape in the player, closing it gently with a nervous sigh.

“Hey, if it doesn’t work, I’ll help you fix it, okay?” Peter spoke softly, honestly a little mad with himself for not asking her about this sooner. He’d be lost without his music and he wondered if that’s how she felt. He gave Max a smile and slid the headphones over her ears.

“Thanks Pete..” she looked up at him before fixing her gaze to the Walkman in her hands. Her fingers hesitated over the play button before pressing it. Her eyes grew wide as the familiar tune of  _ ‘Dust In The Wind’,  _ filled her ears along with her depraved heart. A genuine smile made its way to her lips, showing a dimple on her right cheek that Peter never noticed until now. He could hear the faint sounds of Earth music that he hasn’t heard since he left, making him feel nostalgic. 

A soft sniffle brought him back to his senses, causing him to look down at Max who had begun crying. The music overwhelmed her with so many emotions she couldn’t hold them back. Peter was lost at what to do, he’s never had to comfort a crying girl before. He cautiously put his arm around her shoulder, not expecting her to turn to him, wrapping her arms around him the best she could. She buries her face in his shoulder, letting out a few grateful,  _ “thank you’s” _

He smiled before returning the hug. They stayed like that for awhile, taking turns listening to songs from both tapes, sharing their music. 


	4. The Job That Started It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Max deal with their awkwardness and visit the planet Morag to find an artifact.

**_Present Day:_ **

It had been an awkward couple of weeks since the incident of Peter walking in on Max changing. She was confused, he's never acted like this before. He's seen her half naked plenty of times, she was over the ordeal already and just wanted things to be normal. 

Peter was conflicted. Once he opened himself up to one emotion, dozens began blossoming. He couldn't control how he felt anymore and it was getting harder to keep it to himself the more questions Max asked.

Max was currently sitting in the common area of the shared ship. On the table in front of her she had tools and miscellaneous scraps, along with a few disassembled blasters laid out neatly. She was trying to modify certain parts of them, mainly for fun. Peter walked in shifting a glance towards Max. “Oh, hey.”

Max looked up from her work and noticed him, she spoke in a sarcastic tone, “You seem _ so _ happy to see me.”

Peter felt guilty. He had been pushing his best friend away all because he couldn't seem to sort his feelings out. He let out a sigh before replying, “Look, Max, I'm sorry, okay?”

“Sorry for..?”

“I've been acting weird and, kinda douchey recently.” Peter started his apology, getting cut off by his friend.

“Kinda douchey?” Max recalled all the times he's been a dick these past couple of weeks. “Not to mention all of the bar hopping these past couple of weeks. That's not good for you, Pete. Look, something is obviously bothering you. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Peter tossed the idea around in his head a few times, telling her the truth. He had been bar hopping, trying to hook up with girls as a distraction from his thoughts. His thoughts being something terrifying to him. He was scared, scared that if he confessed his feelings to Max that it would ruin their friendship. He looked at Max who was staring at him with hopeful eyes. 

“I-..I can't.”

Max felt hurt at his words, “What do you mean?”

“I just can't tell you, Max. I can't explain.” after hearing Peter’s response, Max stood up and walked over to where he was standing. She stood in front of him, arms crossed while tilting her head to look up at him. 

“I want to know why. I'm your best friend, Pete. No matter what it is, I won't judge you.” she cautiously took his hand in hers, squeezing his softly. It was a comfort thing for her so, she hoped it would help reassure him.

_ “She’s making this impossible.. She’s so close, I could kiss her right now.. What do I do? Oh no..”  _ Peter’s mind was racing, the physical contact was not helping the rational side of his brain. He was losing his grip on his self control, slowly. “Max, I-”

“Peter,” a soft voice from behind them made them shift their attention to a half dressed, pink skinned girl now standing in the doorway to the common area. The girl noticed the closeness of the two, looking at their hands, “What's going on?”

Peter had honestly forgotten the girl was here but, here she was, ruining the moment between the two friends. Max quickly let go of his hand, turning away from him before quickly collecting herself and going back to her spot at the table. All she wanted was a distraction, she had so many conflicting thoughts, she didn't know what to believe anymore.

Peter had to keep himself from looking absolutely heartbroken when Max pulled her hand away. He sighed and faced the girl, “It's nothing...um.”

He wanted to slap himself for forgetting the girl’s name. She scowled at him before answering for him, “Bereet.”

“Bereet! Right, I knew that.” he walked over to the girl and ushered her into the other room, “Honestly, I thought you left.”

Max watched them leave the room before turning her attention back to the work in front of her. She didn't know what she was trying to do when she took Peter's hand but she had the urge to hold it and she acted. Now all she could think about now was that girl, she stayed the night.  _ “That means..” _

Max sighed in frustration, she was beginning to hate herself, even if that wasn't anything new she despised the feeling. There just had to be something wrong with her, right? That had to be it. She felt like the biggest idiot in the galaxy. She never planned on falling for her best friend but; nevertheless, it happened. It happened a long time ago, she just never learned to accept it, too scared to try it. Peter was everything to her and she couldn’t afford to lose that. Even if that meant watching the person she loves, love other people.

Now that Max was older, she accepted the feelings that she kept under lock and key for years. She just didn’t know exactly what to do about it, she's never tried anything like this before. Clueless was an understatement when it came to her situation.

She put her weapons back together, her mind too occupied to think about modifications at the moment. After she cleaned up everything she made her way to her room. Falling back onto her bed, she lets out a sigh as she closes her eyes. After thinking for a moment, she began softly singing,  _ ‘Hey Jude’ _ . Her father would sing it to her every night to lull her to sleep when she was little. The song always held a special place in her heart. Any time that she felt sad or, that her heart would ache she would turn to the familiar tune of the classic Beatles song.

Meanwhile, Peter was helping his prior bed guest out of the Milano. They never left the planet they landed on last night, mainly because he made the stupid idea to bring someone back from the bar. After exchanging a few words the girl left, leaving Peter to close the door and walk back inside. He wasn’t sure on what to do. He wanted to talk to Max but, what he wanted to say earlier wouldn’t sound too great now.  _ “Honestly, why are you such an idiot?”  _ Peter’s inner voice insulted him but, it was true. He was the biggest idiot alive.

He paced aimlessly around the ship, his thoughts running wild. He started walking towards his room before something caught his attention. It was singing, Max singing to be exact. Peter began following the sound, it led him to the hallway to her room. He walked as quietly as he could, stopping right before her door. He felt a smile grace his face as he listened to her sing. It was rare for him to hear her sing, she refused to sing in front of him, so it was rare moments like these that he could listen to her. He loved her voice, it was soft and sweet. She could probably sing anyone to sleep, Peter’s definitely thought about it.

_ “And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain _ _  
  
_

_ Don't carry the world upon your shoulders _ _  
  
_

_ For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool _ _  
  
_

_ By making his world a little colder”,  _ Max sang softly before stopping, having to wipe tears from her eyes. She felt so stupid crying over this, she kept telling herself that she just needed to get over it. Granted, she does try but, every time he makes a sarcastic remark or a reference she can't help but feel the warmth in her chest. He made her laugh, even when she was at her worst. She can't just forget that.

Max sighed before getting off her bed, walking over to her closet. She changed her clothes from loose and lazy to tight jeans and a t-shirt. It was time to go make some money, that is if Peter found anything for them to do. She heard a knock on her bedroom door, knowing it couldn't be anyone but Pete she told him to come in.

“Hey, you ready to go? I've got a job from Yondu.” Peter spoke after he opened the door. 

“Yeah, I was just about to come ask you about that.”, Max turned to face her friend, trying her best not to let her awkwardness overcome her. Her mind was still occupied with an array of emotions.

“Let's get going then. I'll tell you about the job along the way.” he replied before turning to walk out the door, gesturing her to follow him.

Max followed him to the control deck before sitting in her seat. After a few seconds of silence Max spoke up, “So, tell me about this job.”

Peter was prepping the ship for flight as he replied, “There’s a guy who calls himself, The Broker, in Xandar who is willing to pay for some artifact from the planet, Morag.”

“Morag, that planet’s abandoned right? Do we know what this artifact is?” she asked, considering his description was a bit vague. She needed more information to go on.

He continued talking as they eased the Milano off the ground before setting it’s course, “It is, has been for a while. Honestly, all I know is where it's located.” 

Max nodded her head at the new information, “Okay, that sounds doable. How far away is Morag?”

“Just a few jumps, it'll probably only take about fifteen minutes to get there.”

\--

The time passed quickly, the awkward aura faded after a while. They had arrived at the planet, Morag. Through the wind and rain and the help of a sort of tracking device. They were lead into an old, crumbling building infested with creatures that resembled mutant rodents. Peter saw this as a moment to have a little fun as he put his headphones on.

Max noticed him turning on his music, the music being so loud she can hear it from where she’s standing. She watched him as he started dancing to the music. It was playing,  _ “Come And Get Your Love”,  _ a song she loved to dance to. She couldn’t help but laugh at his stupidity, it was cute, even if most of the dance moves were embarrassing. As they made their way through the building, they goofed off and danced. Peter making a fool of himself as he lip-synced every word. They came across a wide canyon. Max looked over the edge, cringing at the horrors below. Horrible looking creatures.

Once they both made it across, they approached a doorway. Peter fiddled with the lock a bit before it opened. They walked into the room, an orb floated on a pedestal in a protective shield that sat in the middle of the room. Max pulled a device out of her bag, it acted as a gravity pull. She knelt down and placed it on the floor. It then opened, making the orb break through from the inside of it's shield.

“Nice.” Max says as she picks up the orb, standing upright. She turns to look at Peter but is interrupted by three armed men rushing them with guns.

“Drop it!” the one in front shouted before he ordered the other men something in a language the two humans were not familiar with. But, Max figured it was something along the lines of,  _ ‘Seize them!’ _

“Uh.. Hey.” Peter tried sounding casual, failing miserably.

“Drop it, now!”

“Hey, cool, man. No problem.” Max said nervously, quickly dropping the orb, letting it roll to the strange, angry man. She puts her hands up in surrender, “No problem at all.”

He kneels down and picks up the orb, holding it in front of him as he speaks, “How do you know about this?”

Peter intervened, speaking first, “We don't even know what that is. We’re just junkers, man. We were just-” he stammered nervously as one of the other men shoved him with the end of his gun, “just checking stuff out.”

“You don’t look like a junkers. You’re wearing Ravager garbs.”

“It’s just an outfit man,” Peter gets cut off by the guy pushing him again. He looked back at him with an angry expression, the tone of his voice getting aggravated, “Ninja Turtle, you better stop poking me!”

“What are your names!” the leader shouted, getting fed up with the stalling.

“My name’s Peter Quill, she’s Maxine Stryker, okay? Dude, chill out.” 

“Move!” he shouted again before the two of them were being pushed. 

Max cursed under her breath before speaking, “Um, why?”

“Ronan, may have questions for you.” the angry man turned to leave the room.

_ “Ronan.. I’ve heard the name somewhere before. Definitely not good.” _ Max thought to herself, trying to think of where she has heard that name before.

“Hey! You know what? There’s another name you might know me by.” Peter talked frantically, Max already knew where this was going. The angry man turned around, his attention successfully caught. Peter looked at him with a serious expression, “Star-Lord.”

Max shook her head at her friend as the man replied, “Who?”

Peter’s shoulders dropped, his voice sounding a bit dejected, “Star-Lord, man. Legendary outlaw?” he shot a hopeful glace at the men behind them, “Guys?”

“Move!” 

As the two were shoved again Peter gave up on the charade, “Ah, forget this.” 

He kicked the device they used earlier to the other guys, taking care of them. Max took out her two blasters, holstered on each leg and shot the angry man before he could shoot them. 

“Nice shot!” Peter laughed as he picked up the orb, stuffing it in his bag. Max turned to face her friend, walking over to him. Before she could say anything Peter grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him, narrowly dodging a blast that creates a giant hole in the wall behind them. Thinking fast, he starts the rockets on his boots making them quickly blast out of the room towards the ship.

They crash land outside but are quick to jump up and run. The wind and rain was relentless as they ran for their lives. Peter throws another gravity device towards some armed men blocking their way as Max runs towards the ship. She gets in first, sliding through the open hatch. She gets in her seat and quickly starts the engine on the ship, already having it in the air when Peter swiftly slides in the hatch, closing it.

“What the fuck, Pete?! Who are these guys!?” she shouted as she quickly pulled the controls back, making the MIlano narrowly miss a huge blast.

“No freakin’ idea!” Peter replied as they rushed away from the newfound enemies. He started laughing like an idiot when he thought they were far enough away.

“You’re gonna jinx it. Stop laughin-” Max got cut off the ship getting tossed in the air as, it was propelled up by a water geyser. It was as if life was trying to mock her. They both got flung from their designated seats, hitting the windshield. The ship turned as it fell, making the two fly to the other end of the ship. Almost missing, Max grabbed a hold of the pilot seat. She reached for the controls; stretching, trying to reach the lever. At the last possible second she pulled it back, stabilizing the ship.

Peter let out heavy breaths, his heart rate going through the roof. He leaned his head against the wall, “Holy shit. That was close.”

Max stood up, holding her head. She could already feel a headache coming on from where she hit her head on the roof. “You’re telling me.”

“You okay?” he asked, giving her a concerned look as he stood up.

“Yeah, I just hit my head. I'll feel better once we’re off this planet.”

“Agreed.” Peter nodded his head before walking to the left pilot’s seat, sitting down. Max sat next to him as he took control of the ship, flying far away from the planet.

Once things were cooled down and the ship was set to auto pilot, Max climbed down to the small common area. She sat at the table, rubbing the bump on the side of her head. She was thinking about what that guy had said earlier. That name he mentioned.  _ Ronan. _ She had definitely heard it before. Whoever he was, he was bad news, that much she knew. 

Max stood up and walked over to the tape deck, pressing play. She smiled as her mixed-tape played,  _ “Dust In The Wind” _ played in the background softly. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Peter climbing down the short ladder.

“Max, you down here?” he asked aloud, since she was out of his line of vision.

“Yeah,” she walked into view, seeing Peter standing at the end of the table with an ice pack in his hand. She gave him a questioning look as she walked over to him, leaning against the table, “What’s that for?”

“It’s for you, dummy. You said you hit your head right? Show me where.” Peter spoke as he stepped a little closer to her.

Max sighed, knowing she couldn’t get out of this situation. She pointed to the left side of her head, “Here but, be careful please. It hurts.”

“I will be, trust me.” he said before gently placing the ice pack over the swollen bump on her head. She inhaled sharply at the first shock of the cold ice. “You okay?..”

“Yeah, it’s just cold.” she smiled at him a bit, feeling grateful for the ice pack he made for her. She moved her hand to place it over his, the one holding the ice pack to her bruised head, “Thanks, Pete.”

She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. It was like she was stuck, lost in his eyes. It was beginning to get difficult for her to hide her affection for Peter, especially in moments like this. All Peter could think about since they locked eyes was how soft her lips looked and, the pros and cons to kissing her right now. 

Neither of them realized that they were slowly getting closer to each other, their bodies naturally responding while both of their minds raced. Before they could both get what their heart desired, ringing brought them back to their senses, making them pull apart. Max accidentally hitting  _ ‘answer call’  _ as she scrambled to collect herself.

They both quickly looked at the monitor, seeing Yondu’s angry face. “Quill? Stryker?”

“Hey, Yondu.” Max started, trying to sound casual.

“I’m here on Morag. Ain’t no orb, ain’t no you.” Yondu scowled at the two of them in anger.

Peter responded quickly not wanting to deal with this, “Well, we were in the neighborhood. Thought we’d save you the hassle.”

“Well, where are y’all at now, boy?”

“I feel really bad about this, but I’m not gonna tell you that.” he replied, Max could tell he was already getting agitated.

“I slaved putting this deal together-” Yondu starts, Peter interjecting a short retort.

“Slaved? Making a few calls is, ‘slaved’?”

“..and now you’re gonna rip me off!” he finished, Peter’s words only made him angrier.

Max scoffed before speaking, “I mean, what did you expect? Honestly?“

“We do not do that to each other. We’re Ravagers. We got a code.”

Peter jumped in again, irritation clear in his voice, “Yeah and, that code is ‘steal from everybody’.”

“When I picked you up on Terra-” Yondu started, Peter mocking him making a face at his words, “These boys of mine wanted to eat you!” 

Peter gritted his teeth in anger, “Yeah?”

“They ain't never tasted any Terran before. I stopped ‘em. You’re alive because of me! I will find you and I will-”

Peter ends the call, too mad to hear another word from him. He felt Max stand beside him as she placed her hand on his back, rubbing it soothingly, “Hey, you alright?”

Almost instantly he felt his anger cool off, and his nerves settle, “Yeah, I’m fine. He’s just an asshole.”

“That’s true. Just know that I'm glad they didn't eat you.” Max laughed a bit trying to lighten the mood, she hated seeing him like this, “I think I would be pretty screwed if you would have never showed up in my life.”

He smiled at his friend, “Thanks, Max. Sometimes it feels like you’re the only thing keeping me going, you know?”

She knew the feeling well, they had been each others rock for a long time, even if they didn’t talk about it much, “I definitely know that feeling, Pete.”

“How does your head feel?” Peter asked, turning to face Max. He was still concerned about the bump on her head, she hit it pretty hard.

“It's fine. The ice helped a lot. It doesn't hurt that much anymore.” Max looked away from him shyly for a moment before turning her gaze back to him. She suddenly either felt bold or reckless, she couldn't quite decide. She got on her tiptoes, leaning in to place a sweet kiss on Peter’s cheek, “Thank you.”

Peter was absolutely dumbfounded, the last thing he was expecting from Max was a kiss on the cheek. She pulled away from him, backing up a bit. She seemed nervous at Peter’s lack of reaction but, little did she know, he was trying to restrain himself. He finally collected himself enough to speak, “I-it was no problem, really.”

“Still, thank you. You've looked out for me for years. Just, thank you. I feel like I don't say it enough.”

Peter felt his heart swell at her words and, he couldn't help but smile at her, “Don't worry about it, okay. Friends look after each other, you do the same for me, so we're even.”

“Okay okay. I'm gonna go change into some clean clothes.” she spoke, gesturing to her dirty clothes. “We should be at Xandar soon so, be prepared.”

Max then exited the room, leaving Peter alone with his thoughts. He brought his hand up to the cheek she had kissed, his mind racing. He didn't know for sure what it meant. Was it just a friendly kiss to thank him or, was she hinting at something more? He groaned in frustration. Max was always hard to read. She was very good at hiding her emotions but, sometimes she seemed transparent. All Peter wanted to know was, what was going through the girl’s mind.

  
  
  



	5. Happy Birthday, Dork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Max's eighteenth birthday and Peter is determined to not let her spend it alone.

Ages: Peter: 20 Max: 18

**_Year:_ ** _ 2000 _

Peter had been looking for Max, he had a surprise for her. It was her birthday today and, he didn't want her to spend it alone again. Last year, she didn't tell him about her birthday until it was over. She didn't see the point in celebrating it, it just reminded her of home. It reminded her of her father. She wanted to go home but she knew she couldn't. No one would believe where she's been for the past eleven years. They would probably think she was insane.

Peter, on the other hand, was determined to celebrate Max's birthday. She turned eighteen today, it was an important step in her life and he doesn't want her to be alone. He remembers how sad she was last year when she talked about her birthday. He wants to try and help her make today a good day. He's her only friend, it's the least he could do.

He finally found her, she was sitting in the co-pilot's chair, gazing out at the cosmos. She looked deep in thought, making Peter wonder about what was going through her mind. 

“Hey, Max.” 

Max turned around to see Peter standing behind her with a stupid smile on his face.  _ 'Oh no, what's he up to.’ _

“Hey Pete. What's up?”

Peter smirked before answering, “I've got something I wanna show you. Come on.”

Max furrowed her eyebrows at him before reluctantly getting up, following him to the small dining space. Once he moved aside, Max could see a small cake sitting on the table,  _ 'Happy Birthday, dork.’ _ was written in frosting on the top in Peter's messy handwriting. Max could feel a familiar warmth in her chest as a smile made its way to her face.

“Happy 18th Birthday, Max.” Peter spoke, relieved to see her smiling and not upset.

“ _ You  _ made a cake?”

Peter shrugged his shoulders, speaking in a nonchalant tone of voice, “What can I say? I'm a man of many talents.”

Max laughed at him, "I haven't had a cake since I was seven. My dad made it and honestly, it looked just as bad as this one."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not gonna promise that it tastes good. I've never made a cake in my life." Peter stated as he turned around to get a couple of plates from the cupboard for the two of them.

Max couldn't help but feel a little special, not only did Peter go out of his way but this is something that he's never done. Though, she couldn't help that gnawing thought in the back of her mind,  _ what makes you so special? _

Peter turned back around, a knife in his hand ready to cut this cake. "Moment of truth."

Once the cake was cut and Max was given the first piece. She picked up her fork and took a bite. It was surprisingly not that bad, it was sweet and reminded her of home. She tried her best not to tear up, "This is really good, Pete."

She looked up only to see that Peter had been staring at her intently, worried that her reaction was going to be that it tasted awful. He let out a sigh of relief, "Really?" 

He finally took his first bite, "I really am a man of many talents."

Max laughed at him once again, this time agreeing with him, "You really are."

-

Time passed with ease and the two of them found themselves stargazing again. There was a comfortable silence between them but Max had a single question on her mind. Something she honestly never thought about until now, "Hey Pete, what's your middle name?"

Peter thought about it for a second. Had he really never told her before? Come to think of it, he didn't know her's either, "It's Jason."

"Hmm, Peter Jason Quill. It suits you. Do you know where it came from?"

"I think it's a family name, I can't really remember. What about yours? What's your middle name?"

Max thought about her name briefly, it reminded her of her mother, even if they never got to meet. Her dad always told her that her mom adored the name, "Estelle, my mom gave me that name. My dad told me that it means  _ star _ . My first name means  _ the greatest.  _ If you put it together, she definitely had big expectations for me."

"The Greatest Star, it's a bit ironic that you ended up in a life that explores the galaxy, huh?" Peter joked.

Max returned the laugh softly, "Yeah, it is a bit ironic now that I think about it."

"Well, when it comes to names, you're definitely cooler in that aspect." 

The silence returned again, as Peter thought to himself. He let a few more comfortable moments pass before saying, "I'm really glad I met you, you know? Or I'd be sitting here by myself and that would just be lonely."

Max smiled and felt a warmth in her chest at his words, "I'm really glad I met you too, Pete."


	6. New Acquaintances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Peter meet with the man who calls himself The Broker, in hopes of selling the artifact. After being kicked out of his shop the two of them make a few foes who turn into unlikely friends.

**_Present Day:_ **

Xandar was a beautiful planet. It was definitely one of Max’s favorites so, she never minded when her and Peter had to do business there, like now. The two friends were currently walking side-by-side in one of the busier market squares in the inner city. They were on their way to the Broker’s shop to sell the mysterious orb they had collected from Morag.

Max tucked a strand of long, wavy auburn hair behind her ear, as the wind blew slightly. She looked over before speaking, “So, what’s the plan after selling the orb?”

“Well, avoid Yondu of course. But, I figured since you’ve been dying for some new gadgets, we could try and find some cool stuff for you.” he spoke, looking over at Max. He watched as a smile spread across her face.

“Really?” she started out happy before giving him a sharp look, “I swear, if you’re fucking with me.”

“I know I’m an asshole but, I’m not that much of a dick. Am I?”

Max laughed at him before replying, “You don’t want to ask me that.”

“That’s fair.” Peter smiled at her, knowing she was joking. At least he hoped she was.

They arrived at the shop, walking through the sliding doors. The shop was filled with glass cases protecting expensive trinkets and artifacts. Peter and Max both walked up to the desk. A man with a rather gastly appearance stood on the other side, he was known as, The Broker.

The Broker looked up from his work, seeing the two Ravagers, “Mr. Quill, Ms. Stryker.”

Peter smirked a bit before producing the orb from his bag, “Broker, The orb.” he placed the orb on the counter between them, “As commissioned.”

The Broker sat down the tools in his hands before giving them a questioning look, “Where’s Yondu?”

“Wanted to be here, sends his love. And told me to tell you, that you got the best eyebrows in the business.” Peter sputtered out a laugh at his last statement.

Max elbowed him in the arm, telling him to shut up. Max focused her attention back on The Broker as he began counting out units as payment, “What is it?” 

He continued counting as he spoke, “It’s my policy never to discuss my clients or their needs.”

“Yeah well, we kind of almost died getting it so..” she replied, displeased with his answer.

He looked up at her, pausing his counting, “An occupational hazard; I’m sure, in your kind of work.”

Peter spoke up, “Some machine-headed freak, working for a dude named Ronan.”

The Broker suddenly looked terrified, just at the mention of the name. “Ronan?”, He quickly picked up the orb, walking around the counter, “I’m sorry Mr. Quill, I truly am. But I want no part of this transaction if Ronan is involved.”

He shoved the orb at Peter pushing him back towards the door. Max was honestly a little unsure on what to do considering, he had the right to kick them out of his shop. Peter held his ground for a minute before asking the question that had been on the two humans’ minds, “Woah! Woah, woah, woah! Who’s Ronan?”

The Broker began explaining, his voice trembling with fear as he spoke, “A Kree fanatic, outraged by the peace treaty. Who will not rest until Xandarian culture- my culture is wiped from existence!”

He starts pushing Peter again before Max spoke up, “Pete, let’s just go. Look at him, he’s scared. Probably for a good reason.”

“But, Max we-” she cut him off with a glare, making him take the orb from The Broker, “Fine.”

“We’ll be leaving.” Max spoke as she tugged on Peter’s jacket sleeve.

“Good to see at least one Ravager with a few morals.” The Broker spoke as they left the shop, the door closing behind them.

Max sighed, glancing over to her left. Leaned against the wall was a green-skinned woman, eating a type of Xandarian fruit. She glanced over at the two, being a bit too nosey for Max’s liking, “What happened?”

Peter being the idiot that he is, only saw a pretty girl. He instantly switched into his flirtatious persona, “Uh..this guy just backed out of a deal on me. If there’s one thing I hate it’s a man without integrity. Peter Quill. People call me Star-Lord.”

“Literally, no one calls you that.” Max added in, shaking her head. But, Peter just ignored her.

“You have the bearing of a man-of-honor.” the woman smiled at Peter as he started playfully tossing the orb in the air and catching it. He started talking, rambling off nonsense that neither of the girls were listening to. The mysterious woman was quick to grab the orb in mid air, kicking Peter in the stomach before running away.

“Peter, you idiot!” Max shouted before running after the woman. Once Peter recovered he pulled a device that acted like a trap and threw it at the woman. It wrapped around her legs and made her fall to the ground, the orb rolling from her hands. Max tried to run fast enough to catch her before she broke free but, she was too late. Getting kicked to the ground, Max ends up beside the scary woman. She took a punch to the face then, blocking the second, she then brings down her elbow, crashing it down on the woman's face.

Now, she was angry. Max could tell as the woman quickly moved to where she dug a knee into Max’s sternum, to hold her down. She pulled out a knife, holding it up, “This wasn’t the plan.”

Before she could stab Max, Peter pulled the woman off of her. She jabbed her elbow back, hitting him in the nose but, he wouldn’t let go. Just when things couldn’t get worse, it did. Something resembling a raccoon jumped on the woman, pulling her apart from Peter. Along with the creature was a giant humanoid tree holding a bag.

“Put him in the bag. Put him in the bag!” the raccoon shouted at the tree. The tree then grew vines, putting them around the scary woman. Both Peter and Max watched in amazement for a second before he quickly rushed over to his friend, helping her off the ground.

“Not her, him! Learn genders man.” They could hear the creature talking behind them. Peter quickly picked up the orb before they started running again.

\--

The fight lasted for a little longer before the Nova Corps intervened, arresting all five of them. They were then transferred to The Kyln, a prison with a rough history. Max didn’t necessarily like the idea of being locked up. It brought back unwanted and unpleasant memories.

They walked in a single-file line, Max being behind Peter. They were on their way to be processed through the system. He couldn't see the distressed look on her face but, he knew it was there. She absolutely hated getting locked up. But, they've been arrested their fair share of times so, he already knew how she was feeling. “Hey, Pete..”

He instantly turned his head to look at his friend, “You okay?”

“Yeah.. For now, until we get separated. I know it won't be for long, but I can't help it..” Max spoke as she recalled the first time she was arrested and they separated the two. She was in a constant state of panic until he found her about an hour later. Needless to say, he received a bone crushing hug that day.

“It'll be fine, Max. You know I'll find you no matter what, right?” Peter spoke to her reassuringly.

She smiled, nodding her head a bit as she felt butterflies in her stomach, “Yeah, I know.”

“Oh, would you lovebirds shut up.” Rocket the raccoon spoke as he walked in front of Peter, mocking the pair, “It’s disgusting.”

“You wanna talk about disgusting? Try looking in the mirror.” Max said, still irritated that these people had gotten them arrested. She was in no mood to be friendly.

“She doesn't mean that, she just hates prisons.” Peter interjected, defending his friend. 

Rocket ignored Max’s comment and changed the subject, “I guess most of Nova Corps wanna uphold the laws, but these ones here, they're corrupt and cruel. But, hey, that's not my problem. I ain't gonna be here long. I've escaped twenty-two prisons, this one's no different. You're lucky the broad showed up, because otherwise, me and Groot would be collecting that bounty right now, and you two would be getting drawn and quartered by Yondu and those Ravagers.”

As he finished talking the five of them walked into another room. Peter replied to Rocket, leaning forward a bit, “I’ve had a lot of folks try to kill me over the years. I ain’t about to be brought down by a tree and a talking raccoon.”

Once in the room the guard told the group to stop before Rocket shrugged his shoulders, “What’s a raccoon?”

“  _ ‘What’s a raccoon?’ _ It’s what you are, stupid.” Peter replied, getting annoyed at his company. Gamora looked back at Peter with a look of slight disbelief on her face. The next door opened, the guards now leading the group to their cells. 

“Ain’t no thing like me, except me.” Rocket finished, gesturing to himself as he spoke.

Peter spoke again, changing the subject to that of the topic that’s been on both his and Max’s minds. The Orb. “So, this orb has a real shiny blue suitcase, Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe. What is it?”

Groot speaks the only three words he knows, “I am Groot.”

“So what? What’s the Orb?” 

Gamora stayed facing forward as she spoke, no emotions could be heard. Which doesn’t necessarily mean they’re non-existent, “I have no words for honorless thieves.”

“Pretty high and mighty coming from the lackey of a genocidal maniac.” Rocket retorted quickly, making Max stifle a laugh. Gamora looked back at them, slightly horrified that they knew, “Yeah, I know who you are. Anyone who’s anyone knows who you are.”

Gamora was the adopted daughter of, as Rocket put it, a genocidal maniac named Thanos. Aka: The Mad Titan. He had recently loaned both her and her sister Nebula out to Ronan to use as weapons. Max knew the name Gamora but she never had a face to put with it until now.

“Yeah, we know who you are.” Peter stated casually before turning to Max, his voice a little lower, “Who is she?”

Max rolled her eyes at her dumbass of a friend before whispering back, “I’ll tell you later.”

Gamora spoke up after a second of silence, “I wasn’t retrieving the Orb for Ronan, I was betraying him. I had an agreement to sell it to a third party.”

“I am Groot.”

“Well, that’s just as fascinating as the first eighty-nine times you’ve told me that.” Max started as they walked through another door, her voice sounding a bit agitated. “What’s wrong with Giving Tree here?”

Rocket started to explain, talking like he’s had to say this same line a million times, “Well, he don’t know talking good like me and you. So, his vocabulistics are limited to ‘I’ and ‘am’ and ‘Groot’. Exclusively in that order.”

“Yeah well, that’s gonna wear out real fast.” Max replied after hearing his answer.

When she heard the familiar tune of  _ “Hooked On a Feeling” _ , she instantly looked at Peter. He had stopped, his head turned with a scowl on his face. Before Max could even say anything he ran into the room with the thieving guard who was currently wearing the headphones to Peter's Walkman. The door shut suddenly as Max ran to it, grasping the metal bars, “Pete!”

“Hey!” Peter started, the tone of his voice seething with anger as he began to shout, “Hey, you big blue bastard. Take those headphones off, that’s mine! Those belong in impound! That tape and that player is mine-” 

He was then cut off by the guard hitting him with a powerful stun baton. All Max could do was pull against the bars forcefully, watching her friend fall to his knees, “Hooked on a Feeling! Blue Swede! 1973, that song belongs to me!” 

Max watched as he gets shocked again. She soon gives up, muttering a quick remark about him being a dumbass. But; then again, she probably would have done the same thing.

\--

After being separated to be practically stripped and “cleaned”, the two friends found each other again. They were all now wearing the bright yellow prison clothes that were provided, all except Groot, who didn’t need clothing in the first place. After a quick reunion the group was then led to the main hall which was currently filled with a vast array of prisoners. They were each handed a sleeping bag as they entered, practically shoving them at the new found prisoners. 

In fear of getting separated once again, Max grabbed a hold of Peter’s sleeve. She knew it was going to happen, she just wanted to prevent it for as long as she could. Peter glanced down at Max after feeling a tug on his shirt sleeve. He knew better than to think she was trying to get his attention. He knew she was scared, even if she’d never admit it. There wasn’t a lot that scared the young woman but, her past was part of the very few.

“Hey, it’ll be okay. Give me your hand.” Peter talked reassuringly to her, holding out his hand for her to take. She almost instantly took his hand, feeling a little more relieved that the two wouldn’t be separated as they casually locked their fingers together. 

When the pair first met, Max wasn’t too comfortable with any kind of physical contact. Peter never asked why, he just respected her wishes. That was until he came across her crying one night, about four months after they had met. Wanting to comfort the sad girl, he was lost at what to do because of her situation. In the end they had settled on holding hands. It was Max’s first experience with any kind of love since she had left her home planet, Terra.

“You’ll be fine. Even if we get separated, you’ll be fine. I’ve seen you kick a grown man’s ass before, with your bare hands.” Peter stated, making Max laugh a bit at the memory. Max is an incredibly strong woman, which is why Peter tries his best not to piss her off.

“You’re right.” she nodded in agreement.

Peter was then hit in the head with a can, bringing them back to their surroundings. Prisoners were shouting threats and throwing things at Gamora. Max couldn’t help but feel sorry for the woman, even if she did just try to kill her. The group of misfits started moving again as Rocket spoke up, “It’s like I said, she’s got a rep. A lot of prisoners here have lost their families to Ronan and his goons. She’ll last a day, tops.”

“But, the guards will protect her, right?” Max asked, concerned for the scary woman she only met hours ago.

The racoon looked back at Max, “They’re here to stop us from getting out. They don’t care what we do to each other inside.”

“Whatever nightmares the future holds, are dreams compared to what’s behind me.” as Gamora spoke, Max understood the hidden pain in her words, making her think of her own past.

“Check out the new meat.” a man with blue skin, who had to be about three times bigger than Peter, spoke as he stood in front of the pair. Peter quickly pulled Max behind him, protectively, standing his ground. 

“I’m going to slather you up in Gunavian jelly and, go to town.” he started before his eyes settled on Max hiding behind Peter, “Or, I could just take your pretty little girlfrie-” 

Before he could say another word. Groot stepped in between them, making vines run up into the man’s nose. He started yelling in pain, grabbing at Groot’s arm trying to get free as he lifted him off the ground, which was, a fruitless effort.

Once everyone’s attention was grabbed Rocket started talking, “Let’s make something clear. These two here are  _ our _ booty!” he walked around a bit, talking with his hands as everyone became intimidated by the humanoid tree, “You wanna get to them, you go through us. Or, more accurately, we go through you!”

Rocket finished as the man let out another scream in pain before falling to the floor, cradling his nose that was now pouring blood. Both Peter and Max watched in both shock and fear as the odd pair began to walk off. Peter looks around for a moment before speaking, “We’re with them.”

He then began walking behind them, tugging Max along who was still shocked that something that seemed so friendly could do so much damage.

\--

Much to Max’s distaste, her and Peter were separated again. She was currently sitting in the cell she shared with Gamora. They haven't talked much in the fifteen minutes that they've been alone. The awkward aura was starting to get to Max, she wasn't sure how much longer she could sit in the tense silence.

“So”, Max started off slow, a little nervous to attempt conversation, “We might as well get to know each other since we're stuck together.”

Gamora thought for a moment before speaking, “I have no interest in getting to know you.”

Max brushed the comment off, “Really? Because I'm actually pretty interested in getting to know you. Mainly, I want you to teach me some of those moves you've got.”

For a brief moment a ghost of a smile could be seen on Gamora’s face. She never really had any friends, never saw the need to when everyone hated you. But this girl, she knew who Gamora was yet, she was being friendly. It made her want to give it a chance.  _ “What do I have to lose?”,  _ she thought. She finally replied, seeming a little more comfortable, “They're not that impressive.”

“Are you kidding me? I've trained to fight like that for years but, I'm still not that good. You could probably kick my ass in five seconds.” Max spoke, surprisingly calm even though she was locked in a room with someone who could definitely put up a challenging fight. 

After not getting a reply, Max talked again, “I want to ask you something, about your life. I only know a little about you and, if I'm being honest, you remind me of myself a little.”

This intrigued Gamora, what kind of life did this woman live to compare it to her own. “In what way do you mean?”

“Well, how about I just tell you a bit about myself?” Max lifted her head, watching the other woman closely. She didn't protest so she continued, “When I was seven, I was taken from my home planet and sold into slavery. I lived as a slave for nine years before Peter, my idiot best friend, saved me. I became an outlaw and here I am today.”

Gamora felt for her new found friend, it made her want to open up a little, just to see what it felt like, “I see. We were both taken at a young age. But, Thanos, he..he killed all of my people. He slaughtered my family right in front of me. Then expected me to respect him and become a trained weapon. At first I was resistant but, I found that if I did what he said and won. I wouldn't be tortured and modified to be stronger because, I was already strong enough..”

“Woah..I didn't mean to pry. I just, everyone thinks your evil but I know that deep down, you're still that same little girl. I know this because, I'm the same way.” Max explained, hoping she made sense.

Gamora let a small smile grace her usual stone cold features, “It's fine, it’s nice talking to someone who doesn't think of me as a murderer. I too feel that we are alike in a sense.” 

“Might be kind of a weird request but, let's become friends. Plus, Rocket seems dead set on breaking out of here and since me and Pete are his bounty, we'll be tagging along. You could come with us.” 

A shocked expression spread across the woman’s face, “You'd do that for me? Even after knowing who I am and what I've done?”

“I’ve always made it my duty to never judge someone until getting to personally know them. And, so far you don't seem that bad.” Max flashed her a smile before getting one in return.

“Thank you.”

\--

They had both retired to bed after a while, Gamora had fallen into a light slumber and Max had stayed awake, unable to sleep. She lay awake, facing the wall, thinking about her life before the Ravagers. Memories that she could block out in the right atmosphere. Now was not that time.

She was brought from her thoughts at the sound of the door to their shared room opening. Unfamiliar voices could be heard, talking in hushed tones. Max kept her back turned to the room and, pretended to be asleep. She heard Gamora’s name a few times before hearing muffled panic and quiet shouts. If Max had been asleep, she wouldn't have been aware of what was happening.

After hearing the footsteps leave the room, she shot up from her position, looking across the small room for Gamora. She was nowhere to be found, confirming her fears. She quickly got out of bed, rushing to the door to peak her head out. Once spotting what direction they went in, she began to follow them. She walked quietly down the hall, stopping when the group of prisoners came across a guard. He spoke nonchalantly to the prisoners and it made Max sick, “Take her down to the showers, it’ll be easier to clean up the blood there.”

Gamora struggled against the prisoners holding her, unable to break free as they started walking down another corridor. Max quietly snuck past the guard, still following the group.

Peter had been lying awake, unable to sleep in such a crowded room. Sounds of a struggle made him look out the doorway, seeing Gamora being dragged off by a group of prisoners. After they passed he spotted Max trailing behind him.  _ “What is she doing?”,  _ he thought before pulling himself off the floor, going to follow his friend.

He caught up to her once she stopped in the doorway to the showers. He spoke in a hushed voice, “Max, what are you doing?”

“They’re gonna kill her, Pete. If I don’t do something, she’ll die.” Max whispered frantically to her friend before their attention was caught again.

“Gamora, consider this your death sentence for your crimes against the galaxy!” the prisoner holding the knife to her throat shouted. 

“You dare!”, Another unfamiliar man shouted from another entrance to the room. He was large, with markings covering his entire body. He spoke again, “You know who I am, yes?”

The prisoners had begun to cower as the man walked closer. The one holding the knife spoke, “You’re Drax, The Destroyer. “ 

“And you know why they call me this?” Drax asked as he stopped in front of them.

“You slayed dozens of Ronan’s men.” the prisoner answered again.

“Ronan murdered my wife, Ovette and my daughter, Camaria. He slaughtered them where they stood and, he laughed!” Drax’s voice raised, anger was clear in the tone. “Her life is not yours to take. He killed my family, I shall take one of his in return.”

“Of course, Drax here..” the prisoner handed his knife over to Drax. In almost an instant, Gamora had disarmed the prisoner holding her and put a knife to Drax’s throat.

“I’m no family to Ronan or Thanos.” she started before easing back a little, dropping her weapon, “I’m your only hope at stopping him.”

Anger and vengeance over came Drax, fueling his rage as he pushed her back against the wall. The sharp blade in his hand was now pressed against her throat. He began shouting at her, “Woman, your words mean nothing to me!”

Peter knew that if he didn’t do something fast, Max would. He couldn’t risk that, she would definitely get hurt. He quickly stood up from his spot, walking in the room, “Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Hey!” he put his arms out, gesturing with them a bit as he talked,”You know, if killing Ronan is truly your sole purpose. I don’t think this is the best way to go about it.”

“Are you not one of the people that this wench attempted to kill?” Drax looked back at Peter with a look of confusion on his face.

“Well, I mean, she’s hardly the first woman to try and do that to me.” Peter started doing what he does best, talking himself out of a bad situation, ”Look, this is from a smoking-hot Rajak girl. Stabbed me with a fork. Didn't like me skipping out on her at sunrise. I got, right here, a Kree girl tried to rip out my thorax. She caught me with this skinny little A'askavariian who worked in Nova Records. I was trying to get information. You ever see an A'askavariian? They have tentacles, and needles for teeth. If you think I'm seriously interested in that, then...”

Max just stood in the doorway, shaking her head at her friend. Even though it was working as a diversion, she just couldn’t help but be embarrassed by his stupidity. Peter continued, finally getting to the point, “You don't care. But here's the point. She betrayed Ronan. He's coming back for her. And when he does, that's when you...”

Peter gestured the, ‘you’re dead’ symbol, running his finger across his neck. Drax looked at him, confused, “Why would I put my finger on his throat?”

“What? No, it’s a symbol.” He does the motion again, “This is a symbol for, you slicing his throat.”

“I would not cut his throat. I would cut his head clean off.”

“It’s a general expression fo-” Peter was cut off by Max, unable to take the awkwardness. She then walked beside her friend and spoke, “He’s saying that Gamora betrayed Ronan. That means he’s coming for her and, when he does, you can avenge your family and kill Ronan. You want her alive, don’t do his work for him.”

Drax looked conflicted, thinking about his decision before releasing Gamora. She gasped for breath as she recovered. He looked down at the knife in his hand before speaking to the prisoner, “I like your knife. I’m keeping it.”

“That was my favorite knife."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a little harder for me to write. Action isn't my strong suit, but I tried my hand at it for the first time. I hope it wasn't too bad.


End file.
